Senecio plant named ‘Sunsenevio’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Senecio  plant named ‘Sunsenevio’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; and large daisy-type inflorescences with purple violet-colored ray florets and darker violet-colored disc florets.

Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritierii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNSENEVIO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant, botanically known as Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritierii, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunsenevio’.

The new Senecio plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritierii identified as code number 6S16-B 326, not patented. The new Senecio plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in February, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Senecio plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since March, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Senecio plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Senecio have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsenevio’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunsenevio’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large daisy-type inflorescences with purple violet-colored         ray florets and darker violet-colored disc florets.

Plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of the parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Senecio are lighter green in         color than leaves of plants of the parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio and the parent selection differ in         ray floret color as plants of the parent selection have         blue-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri ‘Sunsenebu’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,104. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Senecio differed from plants of ‘Sunsenebu’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio and ‘Sunsenebu’ differed in leaf         and leaf petiole color.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio and ‘Sunsenebu’ differed in ray and         disc floret colors as plants of ‘Sunsenebu’ had violet         blue-colored ray and disc florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Senecio plant. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Senecio plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsenevio’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences and inflorescence buds of ‘Sunsenevio’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 15-cm containers during the winter in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Senecio production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 10° C. and night temperatures averaged 5° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were six months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fourth Edition, 2001, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritierii     ‘Sunsenevio’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritierii identified as code     number 6S16-B 326, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and mounded plant habit;             daisy-type inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane;             freely branching habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 46.3 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 44.5 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 31.6 cm. Diameter: About             3.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.7 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144B tinted with close             to 187A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 6.2 cm. Width: About 7.7 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Palmately lobed; crenate;             slightly undulate. Texture, upper surface: Sparsely             pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Densely pubescent.             Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing             leaves, upper surface: Close to 146B. Developing leaves,             lower surface: Close to 148B. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to 146A; venation, close to 144C. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 144C. Petioles: Length: About 6.5 cm. Diameter:             About 2.4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely             pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Large daisy-type inflorescences with narrowly             elliptic-shaped ray florets; inflorescences arising from             upper leaf axils and positioned above the foliar plane; disc             and ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum;             inflorescences face upright and outwardly; freely flowering             habit with about 60 inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant.         -   Natural flowering season.—In Japan, plants of the new             Senecio flower continuously from winter to late spring.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two weeks             on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 8.7 mm. Diameter: About             6.7 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: Close to 191A tinted with             close to N186C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.4 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Length: About 2.4 cm.             Width: About 7 mm. Apex: Obtuse to rounded, slightly             praemorse. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 13 in a single whorl.             Color: When opening, upper surface: More red than N81A. When             opening, lower surface: Close to N82C and N80A. Fully             opened, upper surface: Lighter than N81A, color becoming             closer to lighter than N81B with development. Fully opened,             lower surface: Close to N82C and N80A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm. Number of disc             floret per inflorescence: About 110. Color, immature and             mature: Close to 83A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 14 in a single             whorl. Length: About 7.5 mm Width: About 1.6 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm to 5 cm. Diameter: About             1.3 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to             N79A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 9A.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Stigma             shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to N79A.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Senecio. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Senecio have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Senecio. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Senecio have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct Senecio plant named ‘Sunsenevio’ as illustrated and described. 